K atie c ouric

Observe Other Accounts
Chan also explains that a great way to start out with Instagram content
creation is to find accounts or brands that have similar goals and that are
achieving a lot of success. Then, find similar formats and structures but
don’t necessarily copy them. Try to be innovative, even if you’re only
making slight changes because, Chan emphasizes, “copying other peoples’
content is like creating a body without a soul.” He recommends moving
your captions on the pictures to different areas; creating titles with typos so
people will try to correct you and comment; and doing remixes of old types
of formats you see on the platform. Discover whether you can create a new
remix or adapt an old one.
Use Behind-the-Scenes Moments
Tim Greenberg of the World Surf League says that Instagram has been great
for business. The World Surf League tend to showcase younger surfers’
footage because its audience is younger on this platform. And it shares
more funny moments in real time through Instagram stories than on
Facebook. Sometimes content on both platforms is duplicated, but usually

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on Instagram it features more behind-the-scenes moments of the athletes
letting their guard down.
For example, the page put up a video of Brazilian professional surfer
Gabriel Medina kicking a soccer ball around that created massive
engagement with more than three hundred thousand views. The World Surf
League specifically choose not to put that video on Facebook or any other
platform because it felt more like Instagram material—more 
in the moment
and visceral.
Medina is one of the most followed surfers on Instagram and does a
great job of telling stories. Greenberg also cites Hawaiian professional
surfer Coco Ho as someone who does an incredible job of building her
brand online. And as such, she has generated a lot of sponsorship dollars.
They both stand out as consistent producers of great content on Instagram.
Greenberg tells all his athletes that a video of them waxing their board
might seem monotonous in their eyes, but to someone in Kansas it’s
interesting because it portrays a lifestyle and a dream that others may never
experience. Or, if a surfer is on Tavarua in Fiji enjoying a Ping-Pong game
with their buddies, it might be normal to them, but it’s probably really
interesting to their followers. It took a long time for his athletes to
understand that, but now they’re getting really good at gauging what
content to share.
A lot of the content that the World Surf League produces is user
generated. Although it self-produces content and runs events, it leans on a
network of videographers and photographers around the globe to provide
material. The league generates a lot of its engagement because of its
network of contributors. It’s really important to remember that you don’t
have to create everything yourself. You can lean on people in your
community to help you.